Ex-president's favorite son gets a taste of jail

Ex-president's favorite son gets a taste of jail

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As the youngest and favorite son of former President Soeharto, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra always got what he wanted.

He had everything most men only dream of: A business empire, popularity and beautiful women.

But Tommy may have to forget his once lavish lifestyle, at least temporarily, after he was sentenced to 15 years in jail, a bitter gift for his 40th birthday on July 15.

Tommy started building his business empire in 1984, when he was just 22-years old, by setting up Humpuss -- a company believed to be derived from his full name -- with a capital of only Rp 200 million.

From the electronics sector, Tommy aggressively expanded his business to agribusiness, chartered and regular airlines, petrochemicals, shipping and toll road operations.

His list of companies included imported oil marketer Perta Oil Marketing, Sempati Air airlines, a Lamborghini car plant and automaker Timor Putra National (TPN).

In little more than a decade, Tommy 'managed' to increase his companies' assets to around Rp 10 trillion, making him one of business big fishes in the country.

Not satisfied with gaining control of many firms, Tommy initiated and headed the Clove Marketing and Buffer Stock Agency (BPPC), which monopolized the clove trade in the country, in 1991.

However, all his fabulous business accomplishments were reportedly nothing short of exploiting of his father's position.

With plenty of money in hand and his father's influence looming in the background, Tommy effortlessly developed an extravagant lifestyle and became involved in love affairs with celebrities.

The country's auto racing competitions ranked the flamboyant playboy as one of its champions, along with his racing buddy Ricardo Gelael, who was jailed for 18 months for graft.

In the glamour entertainment world Tommy is known to have been close to many beautiful actresses, including Maya Rumantir, Nia Zulkarnaen and Sandy Harun whom he dated while he was a fugitive between 2000 and 2001.

He married Ardhia Pramesti Regita Cahyani, familiarly known as Tata who came from a Javanese aristocrat family, in April 1997, but it didn't end Tommy's adventure with women.

Tommy's fortune began to flounder when his father fell from grace in May 1998 amid strong public pressure for his failure to overcome the country's economic crisis.

Soeharto's fall sparked many corruption charges against his family and cronies. Tommy's firms were closed down one by one or taken over by other companies. Numerous contracts with his companies were canceled.

The list of failed companies included Sempati Air, Humpuss Elektronika and Humpuss Sea Transport Pte.

Petra Oil was acquired by state-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina, while business contracts with Petra Oil, Humpuss Trading, PT Katalis Indopratama and PT Argamulya Buana Tirta were scrapped by Pertamina.

Attacks on Tommy's companies not only came from home, but also from the World Trade Organization (WTO), which decided to discontinue his national car project, TPN. TPN had been exempted from import duties and luxury tax, thus violating WTO rules.

BPPC was dissolved by President Habibie in June 1998 and he had to face trial on a number of graft charges.

But unlike his father who has never been tried, Tommy was sentenced to an 18-month jail term in October 2000 after the Supreme Court found him guilty of corruption stemming from a land deal involving his Goro Batara Sakti retail chain and the State Logistic Agency (Bulog).

Instead of serving the jail term, Tommy fled.

As a fugitive, he reportedly engaged in a terror campaign, including planting bombs in Jakarta and masterminding the killing of Judge M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita who had sentenced him to jail.

In November 2001, he was arrested by police, but many believed Tommy had actually surrendered himself.

Now Tommy has to face the reality of life behind bars and leaving his businesses, popularity and women behind.

But one loophole remains open, the vulnerability of the country's penitentiary system. Will Tommy get privileges while in jail or will he even have to spend time in jail?